For the longest time now, I have been thinking about this fact: Mine, and the entire Humanity's survival depends upon a mere handful of men. I sometimes think about how a madman could launch a nuclear attack that could potentially cascade into the extinction of humanity. Or how another authority could cut millions of trees solely because of the fact that it lies on his/her territory and that it's none of our business, triggering irreversible climate change and once again, the potential extinction of humanity. All of this makes me terribly sad.<p>What use is years and years worth of scientific research and intelligence if all it does is cause our own extinction? We are just like Ouroboros eating its own tail.
I didn't expect anything from Chomsky (notorious Khmer Rogue apologist) and he didn't disappoint:<p>>“What about Nato expansion? There was an explicit, unambiguous promise by [US secretary of state] James Baker and president George HW Bush to Gorbachev that if he agreed to allow a unified Germany to rejoin Nato, the US would ensure that there would be no move one inch to the east. There’s a good deal of lying going on about this now.”<p>No such promise was made, ever, it was floated but it was never written down in any treaty or even publicly announced. It's putins propaganda and if Chomsky had any shame he would be ashamed for parroting it.
<i>“There are plenty of young people who are appalled by the behaviour of the older generation, rightly, and are dedicated to trying to stop this madness before it consumes us all. Well, that’s the hope for the future.”</i><p>I'm sure some social critics thought the same of young people like Chomsky, who were thrown in jail for protesting the Vietnam War. I don't know if I'm being pessimistic or realist, but in the context of climate crisis & impirialism, we've seen history repeat itself enough time across enough generations that I'm not hopeful anymore that the kids will figure it out.
Chomsky tries to point at the 2021 cooperation talks.. but Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014.<p>They were the entire reason Ukraine sought foreign help.<p>Russia invaded Georgia too, lest we forget.
Chomsky is absolutely right. We are sleepwalking into disaster and all I see is a deterioration of public discourse, where we fail to acknowledge how big the threat of extinction currently is.
I don't get why Noam Chomsky is still so revered by many. Every time I read something from him its almost everything bullshit.
NATO has nothing to do with Russia war, one should read Anna Politkovskaja 2004 book, it's everything there.
<i>The other way would be to look at the facts: for example, that in September 2021 the United States came out with a strong policy statement, calling for enhanced military cooperation with Ukraine, further sending of advanced military weapons, all part of the enhancement programme of Ukraine joining Nato. You can take your choice, we don’t know which is right.</i><p>The logic of this argument doesn't work; it's a false dichotomy. On the one hand, he says, perhaps Putin is a monstrous, twisted dictator. On the other, the US extended military support to Ukraine.<p>The two statements have nothing to do with each other. Accepting military support from the US isn't grounds for an invasion, let alone the massacres at places like Bucha and Motyzhyn. I don't think Ukraine belongs in NATO anymore than Chomsky does. I also don't think people should steal packages from my porch. But when they do, I can't beat them to death with a hammer.
Where are the doomsday clock people lately? Putin et al. have been rattling the nuclear sabre for weeks now and I can't recall any stories about bumping the 'clock.' Officials and their punditry have been dutifully wagging their fingers about Russia and their nuclear capability, especially when Ukraine has the temerity to conduct any offensive operations; you'd think the clock folks could muster a press conference at least.<p>[follow-up]<p>So there was a press 'release' (as opposed to an actual press conference) in January, where we find zero mention of the immense pre-invasion Russian military build-up that was happening at the time. It has been pointed out to me that the clock is not updated in response to real time events. I suppose, except they took 30s off the clock -- complete with an actual press conference -- within a week of Trump being inaugurated, citing his "disturbing comments" about nuclear weapons, among other things.